2013

Greta Bellamacina: Poet

A recent graduate of King’s, former English Language & Communication student Greta Bellamacina is already making her mark. In a matter of years she has published her first poetry collection Kaleidoscope (2011), represented global fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana and worked as an in-house poet for brands such as Twenty8Twelve, All Saints and Hoss Intropia.

Greta’s unique fusion of fashion and poetry stemmed from a childhood surrounded by imagination. ‘I grew up in a very creative environment,’ she said. ‘Both my parents are writers and they have always inspired me. Poetry was the most natural way of expressing myself.’ She found King’s to possess an equally inspirational atmosphere. ‘The College has so much to offer,’ she commented. ‘You can have a full university experience while living an independent London life. There are so many factors here which can inspire you and it caters to such a wide variety of people.’

It was during her time as a King’s student that Greta published her first book of poetry, Kaleidoscope, and she found her course had a significant influence on her writing. ‘Studying English while developing my poetry brought me to respect writing as a craft,’ she explained. ‘I gained a greater understanding of the different processes in the English language: it gave me an appreciation of where words come from and how they’ve changed over time. Language is the music to the soul.’

Her love of fashion has also played an influential role in her life. Before beginning her course at King’s, Greta took a gap year to gain insight into the fashion industry. ‘I did an internship at US Vogue which was really insightful. I had the chance to work on lots of different things and gained a credited contribution on the publication The World in Vogue,’ she said. ‘It is no longer enough to have a degree. If you choose to commit to the life of the artist and maintaining a creative working life, you have to know how to work in different environments and adapt to them. Work experience gave me the chance to try something new.'

In addition to further roles at British Vogue and Tatler, Greta worked as a model throughout her time at King’s. She now endeavours to challenge audiences through the synthesis of fashion and poetry.

Greta has worked with London brand Twenty8Twelve as an in-house poet, appearing at events across the capital, reading her poetry and performing with various musicians. She has also worked with clothing label All Saints on their latest campaign as both model and writer. ‘Shooting the All Saints worldwide campaign was great,’ she said. ‘I also wrote slogans and narrative for their online media. In a strange way, it all ties together.’ Most recently, she has created a poetry-fashion film for Harper’s Bazaar. ‘It was filmed in San Francisco and paid homage to Woody Allen’s iconic opening scene of Manhattan,’ she said.

Greta’s plans for the future include an album of musical poetry inspired by Patti Smith and Leonard Cohen, as well as the publication of a new poetry collection. ‘This time I’ve brought in lots of Greek mythology and philosophy,’ she enthused. Greta is also currently working on her second film with Harper’s Bazaar, in which she plays William Blake’s wife; bringing to light the female perspective and visions of London.

‘Maybe one day I would also like to write biographies of inspirational people in the future,' she added. 'There is something quite powerful about writing something which is real.’

To aspiring King’s students her advice is simple: follow your passion. ‘You should just go for it,’ she said. ‘Be the author of your own existence.’